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Gudrun the Great was guarding the Palace Gate She was floating a few feet off the ground and dozing peacefully in the sunshine

Gudrun, an Ancient ghost as one of the very early ExtraOrdinary Wizards, was drea of the old days when the Wizard Toas new She was alht sun, and Jenna and Septi the h her Gudrun the Great nodded drea theo, who had been twins

The year before, Alther Mella had taken over the task of running the Palace and the Castle until the Tiht for Jenna to be Queen He had decided that, after ten years of the hated Custodian Guards sto the population, he never wanted to see soldiers guarding the Palace again So Alther, a ghost hiuards The Ancients were elderly ghosts; many of them were at least five hundred years old, and sohosts becoe, most of the Ancients were quite hard to see Jenna was still not used to walking through a doorway and discovering that she had also walked through the dozing Second Keeper of the Queen&039;s Bedpost or sonitary She would only realize herher, "Good morn to thee, fair maiden," as the trodden-upon Ancient suddenly woke up and tried to reed much since it had been built, so most of the Ancients could still find their way around Many of theht of a faded purple cloak flitting through the maze of endless corridors and rooms at the Palace was not unusual

"I think I just walked through Gudrun again," saidjenna "I hope she didn&039;tghosts guarding the gates," Septiain, much to his relief "I mean anyone could just walk in, couldn&039;t they?"

"That&039;s the idea," saidjenna "Anyone can walk in The Palace is here for everyone in the Castle It doesn&039;t need guards to keep people out anyht be some people you still need to keep out"

"Soood You spend far too much time cooped up in that smelly old Tower, if you ask me Race you!"

Jenna ran off Septimus watched her as she raced across the lawns that spread in front of the Palace, dusty and brown in theand wide and were cut in two by the broad drive, which swept up to the entrance of the Palace itself The Palace was one of the oldest buildings in the Castle; it was built in the ancient style, with s the top of the walls In front of it was a shallow orna turtles left by the previous occupant, the Supreet rid of A broad, low bridge spanned the moat and led to a pair of heavy oak doors, which were thrown open in the early- heat

Septi with its yellow stone gloaruard outside the gate, but then it had seeloomy place, occupied by the dreaded Supreuard, for although it was often boring and cold, at least it was not frightening likeArmy

In the summer Septimus would watch Billy Pot, the Lawn Cutter, who had invented a Contraption The Contraption was rass So on how hungry the occupants of the Contraptionthe lawn lizardswere The lawn lizards were Billy&039;s secretor at least he thought they werealthough ured out how the Contraption worked And when it worked it was si and the lizards ate the grass When it didn&039;t work, Billy lay down on the grass and yelled at them

Billy Pot kept hundreds of lawn lizards in lizard lodges down by the river, and every riest lizards, put the box at the front of the Contraption and wheel them off to the Palace lawns Billy hoped that one day he would actually finish cutting the lawns before it was tiain; he would have liked to have a day off now and then But this never happened By the tirass and the lawn lizards had done their job, it was tiain

As Septi to catch up with Jenna, as far ahead of hi sound Ahis Contraption across the broad path that ran in front of the Palace rass Septiet too far ahead But she was bigger and faster than he was, even though they were exactly the sae

Jenna stopped and waited for Septio and find Mue and arrived at the Palace doorway The Ancient at the doors ake; he was sitting on a sold chair, placed carefully to catch the sun, and had been watching Jenna and Septimus&039;s approach with a fond smile He smoothed down his purple cloak, for he too had been a much-respected ExtraOrdinary Wizard in his ti, Princess," said the ghost, his thin voice sounding as though it caood ? Have you ed the Transubstantiate Triple yet?"

"Alrinned

"Good lad," said the Ancient approvingly

"Hello, Godric," said Jenna "Do you knohere Mum is?"

"As it happens, Princess, I do Madaarden to pick some herbs I told her that the Kitchen Maid would do that for her, but she insisted on going herself Wonderful woman, your mother," said the Ancient wistfully

"Thank you, Godric," said Jenna "We&039;ll go and find herhey, what?" Septirabbed her ar to a dust cloud approaching the Palace Gate

The Ancient, still in a sitting position, floated up fro out into the sunlight "A Darke horse And a Darke rider," his voice echoed thinly

Septihost

"What are you doing?" Jenna protested "It&039;s only that horsebefore Let&039;s see who the rider is"